Have you ever felt that butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling when you realized that many tasks had piled up and that, most likely, some delivery would be delayed?
Within a development project focused on the IT area, the list of tasks or features that need to be completed is known as the "Backlog". But that's not all. The term also involves a way of organizing and prioritizing the work to be done and is generally related to agile methodologies, such as Scrum.

An IT team knows that its routine is made up of diverse requests, which come from both internal audiences (colleagues and supervisors) and external ones (clients). For this reason, it is essential to organize tasks so that all deliveries occur within the stipulated deadline. In this scenario, the Backlog is an excellent ally.

Continue reading and learn more about the concept in this article that the team at CodeBit's blog prepared for you.

Backlog: the definition

The term Backlog, if translated literally, means some kind of "delay" or accumulation. In the business context, the concept aims to prevent accumulated work, and to this end, it implements checklists or processes that must be performed within a project or Sprint.

Also known as "product backlog," the backlog presents, in its task lists, all descriptions, requirements, and properties according to a specific project, always taking into account customer needs.
Subsequently, this information becomes tasks, which must be performed by the team during the Sprint, which represents each of the periods used for the development and completion of the requested processes.

Generally, the backlog is managed by the Product Owner, or the product manager - who is in charge of all aspects of a project.

In practice, there is a very fine line between Backlog and delayed work; for this reason, it is necessary for professionals to know how to identify this carefully and act preventively so that certain factors do not negatively impact deliveries.

Whether working alone or in a team, the truth is that there are various causes that provoke delays in a given job: inattention, lack of time management, and unforeseen changes are just a few of them.
In fact, whenever there are reworks or changes in a project, they must be part of the backlog, precisely so that everyone knows that it is necessary to meet the client's request.

How do requests arrive?

Within the development of any technological solution, changes, additions, and adjustments are common. Therefore, in a backlog, the requests that make up the pending list can be presented in numerous ways, from informal conversations on WhatsApp, to requests via email, in-person meetings, video calls, and much more.
In addition, there are several management tools, such as Trello and online spreadsheets, which are widely used to request modifications in the project. The most important thing is to find a way to ensure that the responsible team is aware of the pending task.

How should tasks be prioritized?

Tasks cannot always be prioritized chronologically. After all, there are urgent processes, important processes, and more or less complex processes. Therefore, the best practice is to analyze each situation individually.
For example, if a client requested a project change yesterday and another company requested a change today, it is likely that the request made further in advance will be prioritized.
It is also possible to base things on simpler and faster executions and leave tasks that require more of the team's time for later, in order to guarantee a longer execution window and prevent the team's activities from being solely concentrated on one delivery while there are still other demands to be met.

The types of backlog

As a term tied to processes, it is certain that the Backlog has some variations. Learn more about them in the next topics.

Product Backlog

Taking into account that, most of the time, the Backlog is related to the development and delivery of a certain product, it is common for this term to be used to represent some type of modification to the product.
In practice, the Product Backlog indicates that some action must be taken to remove or add information and features.
It is necessary that all pending items are visible and available to the team.
For this, there are colorful post-it notes, cards on online tools, and much more.
The most important thing at this point is to find the ideal tool to draw attention and ensure the execution of the task.

Sprint Backlog

In the technology field, a Sprint is a fixed period indeed in which a development team works on a specific set of features or selected items from the general backlog. During this period, the team focuses on completing these tasks and delivering optimizations to the product.
In this scenario, the sprint backlog is a list of selected tasks from the general backlog that must be completed during the sprint. It serves as a work plan for the development team during the determined period.

Maintenance Backlog

The Maintenance Backlog, on the other hand, involves a circular checklist; that is, maintenance and monitoring must be done continuously to avoid failures and ensure the full functioning of the software without any type of problems or interruptions.
In other words, these are the tasks and processes required to repair or maintain the active state of the product.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, understanding backlogs is essential for professionals working with agile methodologies, as the concept is an excellent ally to improve productivity in projects and ensure compliance with deadlines.

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